Face-plate for flush receptacles



G. B. THOMASL FACE PLATE FORFLUSH RECEPTAC(LES. APPLICATION FILEu mac. 4. 1.91.51.

a wue'nfoz Patnted June 1, 1920, I

following is a specification.

UNITE GEORGE B.THOMAS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRYANT ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION CON- NECTICUT.

FACE-PLATE FOR FLUSH RECEPTACLES'.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1920.

Application filed December 4, 1915. Serial No. 65,130.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it knownthat I, GEORGE B. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States of America, and residing at Bridgeport, in the county of F airfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and Improved Face- Plate for Flush Receptacles, of which the My invention relates to face plates for flush receptacles and particularly to the mounting of the doors which close the en-' trance aperture through the face plate. The object of my invention is to provide an economical and secure means for holding these doors.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a plan view ofa face plate;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan thereof in which my invention is embodied in illustrative form;

Fig. 3 is a'perspective of portion of the face plate viewed from the inner face thereof; 7 p

Fig. 4 is a perspective of one of the hinge blocks; I

Fig. 5 is a section through the plate showing a rivet in position preparatory'to riveting operation;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the rlvet smashed down into place; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective of one of the rivets.

The invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawings as applied to a face plate 10 of the type having a rectangular opening 11 closed by two doors 12 and 13 pivoted on hinge rods 14 and 15 at opposite ends of the opening 11. These rods are secured in grooves 16 and 17 in the inner faceof the plate by means of hinge plates 18, 19, 20 and 21 each of which is grooved at 22 to receive the hinge pins. These plates are secured to the face plate by means of rivets 23, one to each plate. In order that there may be no opportunity to swivel on these single rivets, I form the latter of rectangular shape making the apertures to receive the same in the face plate and hinge plates of like rectangular shape. These apertures are also prefer ably countersunk or beveled at their opposite ends at 24 to receive on the one hand the beveled head 25 of the rivet, and on the other hand to permit the inserted end of the latter to be spread lengthwise of the aperture 2t instead of expanding it-in all directions as is ordinarilythe case in a riveting operation where around rivet is used.

A second set of hinge plates 26, 27, 28 and 29 is provided to secure the doors 12 and 13 to the hinge pin. The rivets 23 for this purpose, one for each hinge'pin, are of'the same character as those just described. Inaddition each of these hinge plates is provided with a lug 30 extending beyond-the-margin of the door adjacent its free end and serving as a stop which impinges against the inner face of the face plate 10 and halt the-doors flush with the outer face of the face plate.

The doors are normally held in their closed 1 the springs bear under any tendencyoof the latter to longitudinal displacement'on said arms. Thesesprings are in the form of coil springs, one end 37 bearing against the face plate, and the other end -38 "working in grooves 39 cut in the inner. faces of the doors. v w g g In the present face plate the doors'12 and 13 are provided'with wearing ribs' 'l0 on their outer faces. As a matter of economy these are notformed in one with the doors but are made as independent pieces riveted at 4:1 to the doors.

The present construction is extremely economical since the rivets 23 may be struck from sheet metal of the same character as that from which the face plate itself is made, so that when the face plate has been planed and finished it is practically impossible to distinguish the metal of the rivets fromthat of the face plate. Furthermore, by reason of the fact that-they are struck from sheet metal and are of rectangular FCE.

I do not limit my invention to the precise structure shown. 7

;I claim as my invention 1; An apertured sheet metal face plate for I flush receptacles comprising a hinged sheet metal door for the aperture in the face plate,.a hinge pin on which said door is pivoted, ahingeplate for holding said pin, and a single rectangular rivet for uniting said hinge plate to the under side of the face plate, said plates being perforated in register by rectangular holes to receive said rivet. 2. An apertured sheet metal face plate for flushreceptacles comprising a hinged sheet metal door for the aperture in the face plate, a hingepin' on which said door is pivoted, a hinge plate for holding said pin, and a single rectangular rivet for uniting said hinge plate to the under side of the face plate, said plates being perforated in register by rectangular holes to receive said rivet, said holes being inwardly beveled on a single axis.

3. An apertured sheet metal face plate for flush receptacles comprisinga hinged door for the aperture in the face plate, a hinge pin on which said door is pivoted, a hinge plate .for, holding said pin, and a single rectangular rivet for uniting said hinge plate to the under side of the faceplate, said plates being perforated in register by rectangular holes to receive said rivet, said I I holes being inwardly beveled on a single ax1s,;and said. rivet having at one end ahead beveled to fit the'hole in one of said plates. 7 I c j 4. An apertured face plate having a hinged door for the aperture in the face plate, a hinge pin on which said door is pivoted, a hinge plate carried by the door and engaging said hingepin, said plate having a lug projecting beyond the margin of the door to form a stop adapted to engage the face plate and limit the extent of oscillation of the door. o

5., An apertured face plate having a hingeddoor, a' spring engaging the door to maintain the same normallyclosed, a hinge pin on which the door is pivoted, a hinge plate carried by the face plate and retaining said hinge pin, and an offset arm on said hinge, plate carrying the door spring.

6. An apertured face plate having a hinged door, a spring engaging the door to maintain the same normallyclosed, a hinge pin on which the door is pivoted, a hinge plate carried by the face plate and retaining said hinge pin, and an offset arm on said hinge plate carrying the doorspring, said spring arm lying spaced from the face plate to permit the ready adjustment or removal of the spring, substantially as described.

7. An apertured face plate having a hinged door, a spring engaging the door to maintain the same normally closed, a hinge pin on which the door is pivoted, a hinge plate carried by the face plate and retaining said hinge pin, and an offset arm on said hinge plate carrying the door spring, said spring arm lying spaced from the face plate to permitthe ready adjustment or removal of the spring and having at its free end an offset ap roaching the face plate to prevent the acci ental escape of the spring from said arm.

8. In an electrical device, an exposed sheet metal cover plate, an associated metallic member at the back thereof, said parts being pierced in register by rectangular apertures beveled on a single axis and 1nwardly toward the meeting faces of said members, in combination with .a rectangular rivet of metal homogeneous with that of the cover plate,said rivet passing through said aperturesand being spread at its opposite ends into engagement with the beveled .walls of the aperture and being flush with the face of the cover plate in the finished device, the homogeneity of the metal of the rivet and cover plate serving. to render the rivet indistinguishable from the cover plate, and having the same appearance as the latter irrespective of the finish imparted to the surface. 7

9. In an electrical device, a sheet metal face plate apertured to afford an entrance opening, a sheet metal door arranged in said opening, a hinge pin on which said door is pivoted, a hinge plate engaging said'pin, said plate and its associated member being pierced in register by rectangularapertures,

in combination with a rectangular. sheet -metal rivet engaged in said registering piercings to-hold said hinge plate and its associated member rigidly together. 10. In an electrical device,'a sheet-metal face plate, .an independent element associated therewith, saidface late and associated element being. pierced in register by rectangular apertures, together with a rectangularrivet of homogeneous sheet metal engaged in said apertures and serving to hold said parts together. i

V In testimony whereof I have signed my a name to this specification in the presenceof two subscrlbing witnesses.

GEORGE B. THOMAS.

Witnesses 1 V 'G. W. GOODRIDGE, H. M. WICHERT. 

